A Teenage Fairytale
by See Them Llamas Run
Summary: DISCONTINUED. A wizard who drops out of high school, a vampire disowned by his family, and a Dark Elf on a mission to save a loved one work together to kidnap a princess...and get more than they bargained for.
1. I

((Super Llama Chick: Hey ya. This is my little story. Even though I've got almost the whole plot planned out, I've only written about 2 and a half chapters. So if anyone bothers to read and review this (and I certainly hope someone will), just know that it's going to take a while to finish. I am open to any tips and ideas for this story. Enjoy.))

**1**

Mrs. Darakus was the trigonometry teacher at Merlin The Magician's Wizardry High. Believe it or not, math DID come in handy in wizardry. Chester Samulan could never remember how, though. After all, half the time he was asleep during class. Most of the time, Darakus did not notice this (she was an old lady with poor eyesight and huge crooked glasses that did not work well; although she insisted in keeping them), but unfortunately for Chester Samulan, today she did. (Or fortunately; depending on your point of view.)

"Mr. Chester Samulan!" She hollered right in his ear.

He jumped up. "Chase!" He always said that when someone called him his full name. It was habit.

"I will call you what I will call you, Mr. Chester Samulan," Mrs. Darakus said firmly.

The young wizard rolled his eyes. He thought his full name was a mouth full. He preferred people to call him Chase. "Well did you want something, Doris? Can I call you Doris?" He winked at her. This would have had most girls squealing with delight. Chase was not a bad looking guy. He had long, golden hair, which he kept in a ponytail; and bright blue eyes. His sense of style was also not bad for a young wizard. Today he was wearing a loose dark blue shirt, often worn by princes, and beige pants (tights were for rich, spoiled brats).

Mrs. Darakus, however, looked annoyed. She scratched a one of the warts on her long nose and cleared her throat. "Mr. Chester Samulan, do you recall anything of what we've learned in the last half hour?"

"Course not." Chase thought that was obvious.

The teacher then did something that she only did every once in a while when she was very angry with a student: She raised her cane that she had been leaning over on and pointed it at Chase accusingly. "Mr. Chester Samulan, I will not tolerate such behavior. Please report to Principal Melvin's office immediately."

Chase shrugged and walked out the door: This was nothing new for him. The office had become a familiar place to him. He walked in and waved at the secretary. "Hello, Janey."

Janey was speaking to someone on the phone, so she gave Chase a quick and obviously fake smile. Janey was also old and somewhat rotten, but not quite so old and rotten as Doris Darakus.

When the secretary finished her phone call, she gave Chase a proper greeting. "Good afternoon, Mr. Samulan."

"Please, just call me Chase."

Janey gave him her fake smile again. She picked pressed a button on her intercom and spoke into it. "Mr. Melvin, Mr. Chester Samulan is here to see you."

"Again?" came a bored voice from the other side.

"Again," Janey confirmed.

A tired sigh was heard, then, "Show him in."

Janey motioned her hand toward the door to the principal's office. Chase finished getting his coffee (he had put two sugars and one cream in it; he knew where everything was kept), smiled at Janey and entered the office.

The office looked mostly like a small library. There were books all over the walls with titles such as "How To Fix A Broken Wand" and "How To Undo Frog Spells"—Chase was sure some of the books hid secret passageways. In the center of the room, there was a desk with a picture of the great Merlin the Magician (Principal Melvin's great-great-uncle), a large golden globe, a small diagram of the solar system, and a nameplate, which read, "Principal Melvin". A short, fragile little man with a long pure white beard sat at the desk in a huge purple chair, which made him look even more short, fragile and little; and made his beard look even whiter and longer. He was wearing a typical wizard's outfit: A blue robe and pointy hat, both decorated with gold stars.

Chase thought all this was too unoriginal. When he became a respected wizard (or if, at this rate), he would make his "crib" lot cooler. Silver; skateboarding; hot chicks—he could imagine it now.

Principal Melvin peered at Chase through his large, gold-rimmed glasses. They were almost as big as his head and made him look quite like an owl. "Good day, Chester Samulan."

"It's Chase," he corrected.

"My apologies, Chester Samulan."

Of course, this was all routine. Both of them knew exactly what would happen next: Principal Melvin would take off his glasses, fold his hands, look Chase straight in the eyes and say, "Mr. Chester Samulan, do you have something you'd like to tell me?" (This was a tactic Melvin used quite frequently; he thought it made the students more nervous and therefore more open to tell him what happened. This was usually true, but Chase had been sent to the office too many times for it to work one him.)

Principal Melvin took of his glasses. He folded his hands. He looked Chase straight in the eyes. And then he said, "Mr. Chester Samulan, do you have something you'd like to tell me?"

Chase's response would not be so predictable, but the way he would deliver it was. That was to be expected, of course. "Actually yes. I was thinking that perhaps you might hire new lunch ladies. Don't tell them I said so, but their meals are quite revolting."

"That's not what I meant, Mr. Chester Samulan."

"You say my name too often. It's annoying, especially since you don't say it right."

Melvin put his fingers above his nose, to illustrate that he was becoming irritated. "Please don't change the subject, Mr.—"

"Honestly, have you tasted the fried Griffin's eggs? Ghastly, I tell you."

"That is not the—wait, it's illegal to eat Griffin's eggs!"

"Oh dear, then what _did_ I eat for lunch then?"

"I—you—that's not—" Melvin looked weary and confused. He pressed the button on the intercom. "Janey! I need an aspirin!"

"Yes, sir." About five seconds later, Janey came into the office, placed a glass of water and an aspirin on Melvin's desk, and walked out.

Chase waited patiently for Principal Melvin to calm down.

About five minutes later, Melvin's breathing pace returned to normal, and he remembered that he had a student in the room. "Oh. Hello, Mr. Ch—"

"Principal Melvin! Lovely to see you again!" Chase exclaimed cheerfully.

"Yes, of course. Now, where were we?" Melvin was very old (even for a wizard; he was exactly twenty seven thousand and one years old), and therefore very forgetful.

Chase was only fifteen, and therefore very mischievous. "Why, I don't—oh, I remember! You told me how wonderful I was doing in class and was about to let me leave."

Melvin thought about this for a moment. Well…that sounded good to him. "Alright, then."

"Good afternoon, Principal Melvin." Chase stood up and opened the door.

"Yes, goodbye, M—"

The door slammed behind Chase. He gave Janey a devious smile. "Nice weather we're having, hm Janey?"

Janey ignored him.

Chase walked out of the secretary's office and down the hall.

A sigh of boredom escaped his lips. He went through this almost every day. What was the use of it, anyhow? There was absolutely no way he would ever finish high school at the rate he was going. Why didn't he just move back home?

No, he knew why. His parents and grandmother wanted more than anything for him to become a wizard. When he discovered he had the ability to cast spells, they sent him straight to wizardry school. There's no use in wasting good talent, they had said.

But Chase had no interest in becoming a wizard. He had all the bare necessities at home. His parents weren't extremely prosperous, but they were by no means peasants. After all, they were wealthy enough to pay a cook, a maid, a butler, and support Chase and his pain-in-the-you-know-where grandmother.

Of course, now that he thought about it, ever since his grandmother had moved in with his family, his father had been complaining about money problems. Perhaps…he was trying to support one too many people. And _that's_ why it was so important for Chase to move away!

Chase was suddenly furious. How _could _they do this to him? In his rage, he made the decision to leave Merlin The Magician's Wizardry High. He stormed into his dorm room and gathered up his few belongings: his wand, a notebook, and a book written by Merlin the Magician. It had a lock on it that no one could figure out how to open, so Chase had never read it; but his great grandfather—who received it from Merlin himself, when both Chase's grandfather and The Magician were alive—had given it to him. Chase thought his great grandfather had been the most pleasant of all his relatives.

He looked down at his clothes. Most of the things he had used in his stay at Merlin The Magician's Wizardry High had been provided by the school. His clothes were one of those things. But he had long since misplaced the attire he wore on the day he arrived, and there was no way he was going to walk around in his undergarments, so he decided the school would just have to purchase a new pair of pants and a shirt.

He whistled as he walked off the school grounds, carrying only his few belongings and wearing clothes that he did not buy. He had nowhere to go, and no way of knowing how to get there. Perhaps, he thought, he would just work in the nearest Taco Queen. Maybe he could eventually make enough money to buy his own place. But where would he live until then?

He stopped whistling. This was going to be harder than he thought.

He approached the edge of the Infinite Forest. He would have to walk around that. Once you entered the forest, you were in danger of bandits. Deeper into it you didn't have to worry about getting robbed. Bandits were too frightened to go too deep into the forest. There were monsters like griffins, dragons, goblins, and all kinds of things in there. But in the heart of the Infinite Forest; in the deepest, darkest part, where the sun would not even dare to shine through the trees; there were legends of things so terrible—and so marvelous—that no one could begin to imagine them. No one had ever been into the Heart of the Infinite Forest. No one, that is, except for the famed Merlin the Magician. He, however, never returned.

Chase began walking around the forest. That would take him forever. But it didn't matter. Anything was better than walking though it.

He stopped. Something had moved in the trees. Bandits? Perhaps. It may also have been something worse. Sometimes the horrible creatures that the forest sported came near out at night to hunt. Chase stayed perfectly still. Maybe it wouldn't spot him…whatever it was.

He saw a shadowy figure. It was human shaped. Probably a bandit. Or a goblin. Or maybe a dark elf. You could never be sure.

The shadowy figure spoke. "You."

Chase's face turned pale.

"Yes you," the dark form confirmed. "The one who looks like he's about to wet his pants."

Chase knew a lot about the attacks and living methods of many of the creatures in the universe, but he didn't pay attention when the teachers talked about how different species acted. Now he wished he did.

"So," the thing said, "you look like a guy who could use some money."

"Yes!" Chase cried before he could stop himself.

"That's good," the shadow said, "because I happen to have a job for you."

Without the warning that Chase would've preferred, the thing emerged from the shadows and revealed his form. He was a humanoid, but it was obvious he was not human. His skin was quite pale, almost white; and his eyes were coal black with a slight red tint. His bluish-black hair was shaggy around his head, getting in his eyes a bit. He wore a black cape around himself, keeping it up with his hand; his long, sharp fingernails that peeked from behind it were evidence of this.

There was no doubt in the young wizard's mind what this creature was.

A vampire.

Chase almost fainted.

The vampire smiled at him, revealing his perfectly white, perfectly straight, and perfectly deadly fangs. "Yo," it said.

Chase gathered up all his courage, took a deep breath, and opened his mouth. "GAAAAA!"

The vampire seemed surprised—almost frightened.

"GAAAAA!"

"Shh!"

"GAAAAA!"

"Don't do that!"

"GAAAAA!"

"Shut up!"

"GAAAAA!"

"God, will you shut up?"

"GAAAAA!"

"Look, will you just—"

"GAAAA—"

"If you don't shut up, I'll suck your blood or something!"

Chase stopped yelling.

The vampire looked pleased. "That's better. Now, about this job I have for you. Would you be opposed to kidnap someone?"

There was a moment silence between the two as the young wizard tried to gather his thoughts. "…What?"

"I'm sorry, where are my manners?" The vampire threw his cape off, showing what he was wearing beneath: A baggy black long sleeve shirt; baggy black sweatpants; and black leather shoes. "I'm Fred the Friendly Blood-Sucking Vampire! All my friends call me Fred. That is, they would…if I had any friends…" He frowned and looked away, but just as quickly lit up again and stared back at Chase. "What's your name?"

"Um…m-my name is Chester Samulan." He was so frightened that he forgot that he hated his full name.

Fred the Friendly Blood-Sucking Vampire didn't seem to like that. "So tell me, Chester Samulan, if you had any friends, what would they call you?"

Chase began to calm down a bit. This vampire didn't seem too dangerous. Who knew? Maybe he didn't even suck human blood. "They'd call me Chase," he answered. "And I have a lot of friends!"

Fred nodded. "I'm sure you do." There was no mistaking the doubt in his voice, but Chase thought it unwise to argue with a vampire. After all, he really didn't have any friends.

Fred went on. "So what do you think?"

"About what?"

"About the job."

Chase thought about what Fred had said before. As it sunk in, Chase became more and more confused. "Kidnapping?" he said finally.

"Well, yes." Fred shrugged. "But we won't hurt her."

"Her?"

The vampire sighed. "Maybe I ought to explain."


	2. II

((A/N: Yay! I got three whole reviews! Since I got so little, I think I'll reply to you guys.

Becca – Thank you so much! You are too kind. You described Chase better than I could…!

Kates – Yes, vampires are hot. They're one of the reasons this story is rated T… Anyway, I think you'll like this chapter. It's got lots of vampires in it.

Ellis1788 – I'm glad you think it's cool! Here's the next chapter.))

**2**

For the first time in his life, Francis wanted to die. He wanted to disappear off the face of the earth. Fade from existence.

No one would care.

He was shaking as he kneeled before his king. His father. Only biologically, though. He was no longer respected as a son of the king. Not that he ever was before; his brothers disrespected him because he was the youngest, his people disrespected him because he never acted as high-and-mighty as his father and brothers, and his father disrespected him because he was his son. Oh, how the irony gods mocked him.

Zir, King of the Vampires, sat on his throne, watching his son cower in terror beneath him. Disgrace? Oh, he had passed that line long ago. Zir had put up with his son's unorthodox ways for far too long now—it was time for Francis to experience the consequences of his actions.

The two sat in silence in the empty, dark room for what seemed like hours to Francis. Finally, Zir spoke.

"Do you have any idea what shame you've brought to this nation?"

Francis winced. "Yes, sir."

"Are you regretful?"

"Yes, sir."

Zir was quiet for a moment. "That's a lie."

Francis said nothing.

The king motioned for him to stand up. His son did as he was told. "I'm sorry," Zir said. "I must do this for our—" He stopped. A long time ago, it had been _their_ kingdom. King Zir, his wife, and his five sons. Now, years later it was King Zir and his three sons. His wife and his eldest son were dead. He had just disowned his youngest son. It was all a matter of honor. "I must do it for our kingdom."

That was something the king had said many times before. But now the word "our" did not include Francis.

Francis said, "May I bring anything with me?"

The king shook his head. "You will survive on your own."

"I see." He was on the brim of tears now. He just needed to ask one more question before he could leave. "Is there any way that I can ever regain my place in this family?"

Zir thought. "Ask Gnai. He will know."

Francis nodded and left the king's presence.

He walked through the castle hall for what he hoped would not be the last time. He had never quite enjoyed the building, nevertheless, it had been his home. He passed many of the castle servants as he walked. They all stared at him as he went by. That was something, he decided, he would not miss about this kingdom.

Francis spotted Gnai the moment he left the castle. He was in the royal garden, caring for the plants, as usual. Although that was the job of the royal gardener, Francis thought Gnai did a much better job at it. He made everything look so much brighter.

Francis smiled at Gnai. Until a moment ago, Gnai had been his favorite living brother. Now they were only related biologically. Although Francis didn't really understand that.

"Hello, Gnai," he greeted his brother.

Gnai looked at Francis. He did not smile. His face remained as grim as the faces of everyone else in the kingdom.

Francis felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. He decided to ask Gnai what he needed to know, and just leave. "I asked Father—I mean, His Majesty something that he didn't know the answer to. He said to ask you."

Gnai nodded, but his expression remained the same. "What is it?"

"Is there any way I can regain my place in this family?"

The elder looked surprised. "Yes, actually. I believe there is."

Francis smiled brightly. So brightly, everyone in the area turned his or her head. The sky was cloudy today and everyone was dressed in black, as usual; not to mention that everyone was gloomier than usual on this day, because of Francis. His smile was a strange sight indeed.

Gnai simply ignored his younger brother. "Come with me." He walked out of the garden. Francis followed.

The elder entered the castle again; going into a large dusty, room filled with books. Hardly anyone ever entered the library. Francis enjoyed reading every now and then, though. Gnai was also quite fond of it, which was why he was considered among the wisest beings in the kingdom.

Gnai took a book of a shelf, dusted it off, and opened it. Unlike many of the other books in the library, this one had a title. It read, "Honor". Francis began to feel the sink-ing feeling again.

Gnai spent a few moments flipping through the pages. Finally he stopped at one place and began to read. "'When one brings dishonor to one's family, the family may be so disgraced that they may want to disown—"

"Yeah, I know that part," Francis said impatiently. "Can you hurry up and get to the good stuff?"

Gnai's expression changed neither to annoyance nor amusement; it merely remained grim. That both irritated and scared Francis. Out of all his brothers, this one had been kindest to him; laughed at his jokes; talked to him. He was still in higher authority, and so he often looked down on his little brother, but not nearly as much as almost everyone else. Now, he was just as disappointed in Francis as everyone else.

Gnai had been the middle child before his oldest brother died. Naturally, that meant that he was ignored. That gave him a lot of time on his own, to learn and to read. He also felt like it was his job to keep those older than him on the right track, and to set an example for those younger than him. He wondered, now, if he had set a good enough example for Francis.

He skipped ahead a bit and continued reading. "'There is one way to redeem yourself, if you are disowned. A—'" He stopped.

"What? What is it?"

Gnai finished reading it himself. "According to the old vampire laws, it says that you must bring Father the seven Crystal Dragon eggs."

Francis's face turned pale—paler than it already was. "Oh." Well, that was it, he decided. He was never coming back. He would never see Gnai or his father or his kingdom again.

Although their existence has never been proven, Crystal Dragons are the supposedly most rare, longest living, and most dangerous known species that has ever been discovered. There was only one left in the entire world when Francis was alive, and legend had it that it dwelled in the heart of the Infinite Forest. Every one billion years, it laid eggs—seven eggs, of seven different colors. Each of them was made of crystal, and when they hatched, the dragons also looked as if they were made of the glittering glass. Hence the name.

All Francis had to do was to be fortunate enough to be alive when a Crystal Dragon laid eggs, and be fortunate enough to get to the heart of the forest alive, and be fortunate enough to steal dragon eggs without getting killed, and be fortunate enough to get out of the forest alive with all seven of them.

Francis plopped down on the ground. It must have made him look quite weak, but he didn't even care any more. "Well," he said hopelessly, "I guess I'll be going then."

"Not yet." Gnai motioned for Francis to stand. "It just so happens that tomorrow is the two billionth birthday of the only living Crystal Dragon."

Francis stood up as he was told and shrugged. "So?"

"So tomorrow will be the first time in it's life that it lays eggs."

Francis broke out in a smile again and threw his hands in the air. "Score!" Suddenly his smile faded. "But…how am I ever going to get Crystal Dragon eggs?"

Gnai gave a sigh. "I don't know. But perhaps this will help you." He reached into his pocket and took out a small compass. "Let it be your guide."

Francis took it. He smiled again. "Thank you. I'll miss you." He hugged him.

Gnai was too surprised to do anything. Then, after a moment, he hugged his little brother back. "Francis," he whispered in his ear, "I want you to remember something." He tried his hardest to keep his expression from changing.

"What is it?" Francis asked.

"Don't let anyone ever change who you are. Not Father, or me, or anyone else. To me, you'll always be my little brother.

Francis nodded. "Okay." After a moment, he let go, waved goodbye, and left the library. "Bye, Gnai!" he shouted as he went out the door.

"Goodbye, Francis," Gnai whispered. He hoped with all his heart that he would see his little brother again.

Francis was in considerably good spirits; he said hello to everyone he saw and he hummed merrily as he walked. This, of course, turned quite a few heads. He was interrupted, though, when his other two brothers walked in front of him.

The first one to speak was Cimu. He was the heir to the throne—he had been since his older brother died. He tried a bit too hard sometimes to act like king. He was never extremely fond of Francis, but that didn't really matter now. All that mattered was that Francis had been a disgrace.

"What, may I ask, is wrong with you?"

Francis smirked. "No."

Cimu raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I said no."

The other said, "What the heck is that supposed to mean?" Hirono was the second to youngest, and he absolutely despised Francis. Before his little brother was born, Hirono was a spoiled brat, like most younger children are. Francis wasn't a spoiled youngest child (because he was different; he was shunned), but when he was born, Hirono was not the youngest any more. There was really no reason to spoil him.

"You asked me, and I quote," Francis explained, "'What, _may I ask_, is wrong with you'. So no, you may not ask."

Hirono was very short of patience. "You have no authority to speak to _me_ like that!" He leapt at Francis.

"Agh!" Francis managed to dodge his brother's sharp claws and fangs. "You idiot! You can't suck my blood or any of that crap! I'm a vampire, like you!"

That didn't stop Hirono.

He leapt at his younger brother again, but Francis was lying on the ground from when he dodged, and so he didn't have time to move out of the way. When his brother landed on him, he kicked him in the stomach.

Hirono fell off, clutching himself. "Owww! Cimuuuuuuu!" he whined.

Cimu groaned. "Francis—"

"Yup, whatever!" Francis took off running. "Bye guys! See ya! Wouldn't wanna be ya!"

Everyone in the entire kingdom watched as he ran off.

Francis didn't have to run very far before he entered the woods. The Vampire Kingdom was located in a small clearing in the Infinite Forest. Of course it wasn't too deep into the forest, but it was deep enough that bandits were too frightened to go there. No one had ever discovered the kingdom and lived to tell the tale.

Francis sighed. He was on his own now. His only chance was to find the Crystal Dragon eggs. He took a deep breath and looked at Gnai's compass.

It pointed in four directions, but they weren't north, south, east, and west. Instead of north it had a picture of a golden heart surrounded by trees—the heart of the forest. Instead of west there was a picture of a mountain; obviously to illustrate the mountains. Instead of east there was a picture of blue waves—the ocean. And instead of south, there was a picture of The Vampire Kingdom. Beneath the picture, written in small calligraphy, was the word "Home".

Francis smiled. He _would _do this.

Of course, he had heard that even if you did manage to get to the heart of the forest, finding the Crystal Dragon's nest would be almost impossible. It would be well hidden, and he didn't know how big the heart of the forest was exactly. He remembered Gnai telling him once that there was someone who would be able to find out…

"The princess!" he shouted all of the sudden. That was who could find the eggs! Something in her blood or something, Gnai had said.

Francis decided there was only one thing he could do. He would kidnap the princess. Of course that would be a task almost as impossible as taking Crystal Dragon eggs.

The Vampire Kingdom was only one of the many small realms in the land. There were many different kings and queens and princes and princesses and all that, but there was one huge kingdom, called The Crystal Kingdom by coincidence, that ruled over most of the land. The king—King Garath—claimed to pretty much be the king of the world, but everyone knew that wasn't true. He just happened to own more land than anyone else.

Garath and his wife Meredith had only one offspring: their daughter, Sam. Because she was their only child, the king and queen wanted to keep her as safe as possible, so it almost impossible for someone to talk to even her, much less kidnap her.

Francis thought. He would need some major help. But how would he get it?

"Well, King Garath is super rich, right?" he told himself. "And he'd do anything to protect his daughter. If someone were to kidnap her, I'm sure he'd pay any amount of money…"

Money really had no meaning to Francis. If he kidnapped the princess, whoever helped him could have all the money they held her ransom for. All he had to do was find the dragon eggs before the king paid the ransom.

This was going to be very, very difficult to pull off.

Francis turned around and headed for the edge of the forest, to find someone to help him. He would have to hurry—dragon eggs took between one day and one month to hatch. He hoped the deadline would be closer to a month.

As he neared the edge of the forest, he thought about his name. Before, he'd always been addressed to as Prince Francis. Now it was just Francis. That sounded kind of boring to him.

"Fred!" he said to himself. Yes, he liked that name. He would be Fred…the Friendly Blood-Sucking Vampire! He laughed to himself.

When he reached the border of the woods, he saw what looked like a young wizard walking around. There was a wizardry school nearby, if he remembered correctly. Fred wasn't sure what good a young wizard would do, but it was better than nothing.

"You," he said.

The wizard froze. His eyes became the size of saucers.

"Yes, you. The one who looks like he's about to wet his pants." Fred smiled to himself. "So, you look like a guy who could use some money."

"Yes!" the wizard cried. Fred was pleased. This was going well.

"Good, because I happen to have a job for you." He realized that he was still hidden behind some trees and that the sun was already down, so the wizard must not have seen him very well. He walked out of the trees. "Yo." He sweatdropped and gave the wizard a peace sign.

For a moment the young wizard just stared. Then he seemed to gather up his courage, took a deep breath, and then he opened his mouth. "GAAAAA!"


	3. III

A/N: Aha! I have decided to update! I'm so proud of myself. Even though...I only got FOUR FRIGGIN REVIEWS, two of which were from the same person. ((sob)) But, since I'm so kind, I shall reply to them!

Lulai - Heh, it always makes my day to know I made someone laugh. I'm so glad you like it enough to review both chapters!

Badr - ((eye twitches)) Grammar mistakes? Aw crap. I hate those. But, oh well, I'm doing my best. Just as long as they're not so bad that you stop reading this!

MissKaitou - Thank you! I didn't intend for it to be so random, but everyone seems to like that. ((shrug))

I hope you all keep reading. I'll probably update more often now. I don't like this chapter very much, but oh well, it took me too long to write it. I promise there'll be more humor in the next chappie! One more thing - I want to change the name of this story, so please give any ideas you might have.

**III**

"Prince Setanthula. Your tea."

Set took the platter of tea and muffins. "Thank you, Bartholomew."

"Your welcome, Prince Setanthula," Bartholomew said politely, like all butlers should, and left Set to himself.

Set sipped his tea and gazed out his window. It was a lovely day in the forest. Perhaps he would take a walk later, he decided.

Setanthula V, prince over the Dark Elves, was quite a character. He had once overheard someone say that he was "Such a skilled warrior; such a civilized boy." He didn't like to think that he was boy, though. True, he was young at seven hundred years old, but he thought that he was quite mature for his age. And he hated it when someone called him a child.

As for his looks, he had a dark skin tone, dark blue eyes and no hair upon his head. He liked to wear dark clothing, such as black and purple, and he always wore long sleeve shirts, long pants, and usually a cape, no matter what the weather. (He didn't do this to look stylish; those were the normal clothes that the royal family usually wore.)

Standing, he exited his room. He had stayed inside all day; it was time for a walk. He passed Bartholomew in the hall as he walked through the large castle. Set bowed to him slightly and walked on. His butler did the same.

Set was quickly outside. It was a pleasant day, indeed. The sun shone down warmly on the little kingdom, although it was located fairly deep in the Infinite Forest. This realm was different from the others in the woodland; it was in a small valley rather than hidden by trees. They were peaceful creatures—or they would be, if it weren't for those wretched Elves of Light, as they called themselves.

You see, several generations before Set was born, Dark Elves were evil beings that despised any creatures other than themselves. The Elves of Light defended themselves—and the rest of the world—by having war against the Dark Elves. The Elves of Light won, and put their enemies under a curse that kept them from leaving the forest and limited their powers quite a bit.

And so the Dark Elves were humbled. And the Elves of Light grew proud. They hated their enemies, although the next generation of Dark Elves realized the wrongs of their parents and were disgraced by their history. The Elves of Light would not let them forget it. Their king often visited and demanded things of the Dark Elvin king. When he refused, the other threatened to wage war against his kingdom. Set's father did not want any trouble for their kingdom.

In honesty, Set was surprised that they Elves of Light had not yet attacked them. If they did, they would most certainly win. He had told his father of his concerns, but the king only shook his head and said that the Elves of Light would not attack if he continued giving them what they wanted. This also concerned Set. Lately his father was having trouble meeting the demands.

Sighing, Set went into the forest. When it seemed things would never be right in his life, he went there. There was a tree he knew of that he used to climb when he was a child. Now he only went there when he was distressed. He had visited quite often, lately.

To most people, the tree looked almost impossible to climb. Set himself had studied it for quite a while before he discovered the way to get to the top. There was a notch in the tree that was nearly impossible to see; Set supposed that a lumberjack had once tried to chop it down with no avail. If one was to put one's foot into the notch and raise oneself up a little, one could reach a small branch that, despite it's weak and unsafe appearance, was quite sturdy. By pulling oneself up with this branch, the climber could then reach a larger, sturdier limb, and from then on have no trouble ascending the tree.

Set followed this typical process, soon reaching the top of the tree. From there he could see his whole kingdom and much of the surrounding area, including a part of the lawn at Merlin's High on the edge of the forest. Occasionally he saw a few people in the distance, but could never tell what they were doing.

But, how Set longed to go there and meet the people living outside of the forest; to learn their way of living, and perhaps show them his. Show them that he was not what they thought he was, and that his only wish in life was to be accepted by the outside world.

But it was only a wish; small and insignificant, like the wishes of every little child in his kingdom. The adults, well, they had outgrown wishes long ago. Long ago they learned that nothing could neither release them from such a curse, nor save them from their captivity. They knew they could not raise their children in freedom, and that they would always be resented by the world. It was their curse. They were being punished for the sins of their ancestors.

Set, however, never gave up on his dream. He persisted in his belief that he could one day free his country. His people would be free.

Perhaps this was one of the reasons that the Dark Elves loved and respected the royal family so much. They each loved their kingdom to no end. Setanthula IV, Set's father, was always a kind and trustworthy old man; it was difficult not to love him. Set thought he should be…well, ruder at times, in order that that the Elves of Light would not take advantage of them so. When Set told his father these things, the king would just stare at him like he had no idea what he was talking about. The prince wondered if he did.

Queen Bara was a quiet old woman, who thought of absolutely everyone but herself. But though her exterior was soft and sweet, she was a warrior at heart. In her younger days, she was quite aggressive and rebellious; a member of a gang of Dark Elves who wanted to start a war against the Elves of Light. This gang was called the Dark Elvin Alliance for Democracy, or the DEAD. She was tough and unafraid to challenge anyone to a fight—which was exactly what she did to the prince. She made a bargain with him: if he fought and won, the DEAD would break up and stop their efforts for war. However, if he lost, they would inflict war on the Elves of Light. Prince Setanthula IV agreed.

The duel was the most anticipated event in the kingdom. No one could wait to see who won. The small country was divided into two groups of people: the ones that rooted for the prince, and the ones that rooted for Bara. The ones who wanted peace, and the ones who wanted war.

The DEAD was confident that Bara would win, and so was Bara. She had never lost a fight in her life. No one was quite sure how Setanthula would fair; he had never fought in public before. But on the day of their duel, the prince proved himself to be a worthy opponent. Most men would not stand a chance against the young woman, but Setanthula beat her as if it were nothing.

Bara hated him. The DEAD broke up, as they had promised, but she tried several times to kill the prince—all in vain, of course. But by some odd twist of fate, the two ran into one another frequently. Of course, you probably know the rest of the story: they fell in love, despite their differences, were married in the palace, had a fairy tale relationship and lived happily ever after, for the most part. I myself would enjoy telling the complete and detailed tale, but alas, this is not their story. Perhaps one day I shall record their full story, as it is really quite interesting.

Set smiled. He remembered the first time his parents told him their story. It had always seemed more like a legend of two people long ago, than the life of his parents. Queen Bara always told him that he would too have a fairy tale love story to tell his children one day. Sometimes it seemed a bit childish, but Set did want to meet a young woman whom he could share his life with.

Deciding to head back, Set leapt from the tree and landed daintily on the ground. A task that normal beings, of course, would not be able to perform; he had used some of his powers by directing the wind to keep him from being hurt. Had he lived before the great war between the elves, he would have been able to use the wind to carry him to the top of the tree. However, the Dark Elves did not possess that kind of power any more. Thanks to the Elves of Light.

Most children had hardly any or no power at all. The reason was that most Dark Elves had to share power sources, and it was difficult to draw power from a shared source. The task became simpler as the mind grew stronger. The power sources were stars; usually the ones close to earth, as they were easier to draw power from. Every time a Dark Elf died, his star would be power source to another. Set suspected that in order to handicap their powers, the Elves of Light were diminishing stars—or maybe even extinguishing them.

He dearly hoped that they were not stupid enough to do so. To diminish stars, the Elves of Light would use magic to literally squeeze them smaller and smaller. If enough magic was used, the star would basically be squeezed inside out and form a black hole. So of course, the only stars they would be extinguishing would be the ones close to earth. Therefore, if enough black holes were made, they would completely engulf the earth.

As he returned to the small village outside the palace, Set's mind again went to the children. He saw many of them playing marbles outside, attempting to move the small glass balls with their newly discovered powers. In doing so, they had destroyed several of them.

Set smiled. This was the reason that he _wanted_ to be their prince. So many times before had he wished that he was not born into royalty, and that he was normal like everyone else. But when he saw those children playing together, he wanted nothing more than to help them. They were so free, and he wanted them to stay that way. He wanted them to have even more freedom. It was his purpose in life. Set _needed_ to be able to help.

"Hey look, it's Prince Set!" one boy cried.

The other children turned to see him. A few of them went to hug him, but most just waved and said, "Hi, Prince Set!" It was not an unusual thing to see their prince. He often strolled through the village. Set took some candy out of his pocket and gave a little to each child.

The kids returned to their game, and the prince stayed to watch them. It was not long before he noticed a little girl sitting some distance away, just watching the other children play. Set walked over to her and sat beside her. "Hello, Kit."

The girl looked up at him with big bright green eyes. Her short black hair was covered by the hood of the raincoat she was wearing, which was quite strange seeing that there wasn't a cloud in the sky. "Hello, Set." Kit was one of the three people in the world who did not call him "prince" to his face, the other two being his parents. It wasn't that she disrespected him, but Kit was never taught to call him prince. Her mother was a member of the not-so-secretly reunited DEAD, so she disrespected the whole royal family and told her daughter that Set was no more a prince than she was a princess. (In a way, Set agreed with her.) Kit automatically interpreted this as not having to call him "prince" or "your highness" or anything like this.

Set didn't really mind. He had grown quite fond of the girl, and she was one of his only real friends. "Why aren't you playing marbles with them?" he asked. He received a mere shrug for an answer.

Kit was undoubtedly different from other children. She was only five years of age (_extremely _young, considering the average Dark Elf lived to be several thousand years old), and very mature. Although she enjoyed their company, she never felt comfortable playing games like normal children. She would much rather do other things, like admire nature, talk about art, and make stories. In addition to her unusual maturity, Kit had extraordinary powers. They weren't physical powers, like most other Dark Elves', but cerebral abilities that she possessed—or sometimes possessed her.

You see, Kit was a seer, and the visions she had were never called for. Sometimes they would completely control her, making a different person. Most times, however, they were just small pictures that flashed quickly before her eyes.

Set spoke again. "What's with the raincoat?"

"I don't know," she said unhelpfully, perhaps shamefully. She was clearly aware that it was a cloudless day.

"Did you see rain?" he asked.

"I don't know," she repeated.

Set gave her a small smile. "Don't you like the rain? It's all right if it comes."

"Not this rain." She pulled her hood further over her head, seemingly trying to shut out the world.

"Why?"

"I don't know."

The prince's smile faded. "Then…something's wrong."

Kit pulled her hat off and looked Set in the eyes. He noticed her pale skin seemed even paler today. "Yes," she answered. "I think something's wrong."

Before he could speak again, a crack was heard. All the children were suddenly quiet as everyone stared at where the noise had come from. In fact it seemed that the whole realm was silenced for a moment, everyone wondering what created the strange sound. No one knew. No one expected.

This was the calm before the storm.

Suddenly, someone screamed. Then someone else screamed, more strange cracks were heard, and Set had a sudden feeling that he had to get the children to safety.

"Everyone follow me!" he shouted, instinctively picking up Kit. The youths immediately abandoned their game and obeyed as their prince ran into the woods. He hadn't gone very far when he stopped and uncovered a sort of door in the ground, where several people were already hidden. Each of the children hurriedly went into it.

"What's happening?" Set asked, still holding Kit.

One of the adults in hiding answered, "They're attacking! They've come!"

"Who've come?"

"The Elves of Light."

In surprise, everyone stared at the little girl in Set's arms, who had spoken. The prince was, however, the only one not surprised at what had been said or who had spoken it. He was more shocked at the fact that the Elves of Light were actually attacking them. Why would they do it? Why now? Did they know that King Setanthula was having trouble meeting their demands? Had the DEAD done something rash?

"All right," said Set, trying to get his thoughts in order, "I'm going to the palace. Everyone stay hidden. Remember, if someone stomps three times on the door and then shouts something about the trees, they're friends."

He put Kit down, but she wouldn't let go of him. "Take me with you?" she begged.

He shook his head. "No, it's too dangerous."

"But I need to see Mother."

"I'll find her and bring her here." Set and Kit's mother were obviously not very fond of one another; in fact the girl was the only thing that kept the two from killing each other. But Set needed to keep her safe—for Kit's sake, anyway.

"No," the girl insisted, shaking her head roughly. "She's at the castle."

Sighing, the prince picked up Kit again. "All right. But if anything happens, I want you to run to the nearest safe place you can find. Okay?" She nodded. "Good." He quickly closed the door and covered it with leaves, then left for the palace. "Did you have a vision your mom was at the castle?" he asked as he walked stealthily.

"No," said she, "she told me she was going earlier."

"Oh?" Set said, barely surprised. She had probably gone to criticize the king, or something. "Why's that?"

Kit shrugged. "I don't know. It's not why you think it is, though," she added.

"What do you think I think it is?"

"You think she started this, right?"

Set stopped and looked at the girl. "I really don't know." After a moment he realized something and asked, "Do you?"

Another shrug. "I'm not sure." Set started walking again. "Who do you think it could be?"

"A number of people," answered the prince. "Perhaps the DEAD came up with another harebrained plan, or maybe the Elves of Light got bored and decided to start a war."

"Are you trying to be funny?" Kit asked warily.

Set couldn't help but grin. "Yes. Yes, I am. Sorry."

She looked away uneasily. "Do you blame me?"

"Of course not," he said in surprise. "Why would I?"

"Because maybe I'm responsible. Anyone could be, you know."

"I very highly doubt it's the fault of a five-year-old girl." By this time, Set had reached the castle. He had seen a few Elves of Light and Dark Elves fighting, but managed to slip past them and did not stop to fight with them. (Perhaps he would have if Kit weren't with him.)

"Sometimes," Kit said as they entered the castle, "I see things before they happen. But sometimes I think maybe…I _made_ them happen."

Stopping again, he gazed at Kit and sighed like he'd better things to do than to argue about such childish nonsense. "Kit, really if you think about it, you see that that's completely illogical."

"Who ever said anything about things being logic?"

The prince did not answer her as he entered a secret chamber behind a tapestry. The room was gloomy and dank, and had a musty smell about it. Gathered in it were five adults: King Setanthula, Queen Bara, Kit's mother Janet, Markus the commander of the Dark Elvin army, and Bartholomew. Set put the girl down and she ran to Janet.

"Set," said the queen in a relieved tone, "you're all right." Bara's pale skin (which was obviously not a characteristic her son bore) looked even paler than usual, and her petite figure was almost trembling with worry. Now that she knew her son was safe, however, she relaxed a bit.

"Yeah." Set gave his mother a smile, secretly wishing he had time to talk with she and his father. But, it would have to wait. This was business that needed to be settled immediately. "Now, will someone tell me what the…" He paused and glanced at Kit; "What's going on?"

Janet spoke before anyone else could answer. "My theory is that one of you pigheaded morons did something to piss of the Elves of Light." Set pondered for a moment why he had bothered to watch his language.

"Will you never learn to respect the royal highnesses?" the old commander said in a voice that was a cross between annoyed and weary.

"I wasn't _only_ talking about their royal annoyances," Janet spat.

After fighting back the urge to tell her to get better comebacks, the prince said, "There's just as good a chance that we started the war as there is a chance that _you _started it."

"Now let's not go pointing fingers," the queen said quickly, glancing at her silent husband. "The reason we're all here is to figure this out, not argue."

"My apologies, Miss Morally-Correct."

"Aw, seriously," retorted the prince before he could stop himself, "if you're gonna _insult_ her – "

"Forgive me for interrupting, but may I suggest my opinion?" Normally, of course, it was not the place of a lowly butler to so freely give his opinion to the royal family, the commander of the whole army, and one of the higher-ranking members of a rebellious organization. However, Bartholomew, having grown up with Set's grandfather and taken care of his son and grandson as if they were his own, was much too familiar to be put in disregard.

"Go ahead, Bartholomew," Bara permitted, noticing Janet's look of disapproval.

The butler cleared his throat. "It's come to my attention that the Elves of Light have no apparent reason for attacking us." (Everyone in the room had the urge to slap their foreheads.) "Therefore, it is in my humble opinion that they've taken from us all that they see of use, and thus feel our existence is irrelevant."

"In other words, they no longer see a reason for us to be around," the king spoke for the first time, his deep voice laden with anxiety. Even in his youth, Setanthula IV hadn't been as lively and active as other boys, but somehow he remained joyful through the many pressures of the Elves of Light. However, in the recent years his attitude had changed dramatically, and he was becoming a more somber and – Set was afraid – depressed man.

"So they think they can just kill us off, then," Janet nearly shouted, her anger now directed elsewhere.

Bartholomew said with a shrug, "Well, it's only an assumption."

"Sounds pretty accurate to me," stated Set with grimness.

"I think…that's not it." Glancing at Kit, Set noticed that she seemed like she was trying to recall a long forgotten memory – but he knew she was just putting her powers to work.

"In any case," said Markus, gazing expectantly at the king, "what do you propose we do, your majesty?"

Janet interjected, as usual. "We fight, of course!"

"You don't look like his majesty." The commander narrowed his eyes dangerously, and Kit looked a little worried.

"Be at ease, Markus." Bara let a sigh escape. "I hate to admit it, but she's right."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing…"

"She simply means that we will have to go to war after so many years of successfully avoiding it," the butler explained. Janet didn't look satisfied, but the elder Setanthula spoke first.

"There really is no way to avoid it, is there?"

Set placed a comforting hand on his father's shoulder. "I'm afraid not."

There was a silence in which the prince listened to the sounds of war outside. A part of him wanted to be out there with the warriors, experiencing the exhilaration of the fight that he often enjoyed when training. Another part of him wanted the warfare to be over for good, so that his people could finally be free of the stupid curse, and there would be no more bloodshed. He knew, however, that the only way out of this dilemma was violence, and it was not the fake, entertaining type that he enjoyed during his training.

After what seemed like a lifetime, the king gave orders to Markus concerning the army. The commander then bowed to Setanthula and marched off to fulfill his duties. It was decided that Bara would locate injured Dark Elves and take them to a haven to be healed; a dangerous job, yet fit for a woman such as she. Bartholomew would accompany her.

"And what will _you_ do, 'your highness'?" Janet asked the king, rather irked that she was being ignored.

"Me?" The king looked a bit surprised. "I'm fighting, of course."

Janet raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that a job that you assign to lowly peasants or morons or someone you just want to dispose of?"

"Wouldn't that be putting himself on the level of our enemies?" Bara pointed out. The other woman's face turned a lovely shade of red and she looked away.

The king handed a sword to his wife. "I hope you don't have to use this." He paused for a moment. "But you've been waiting forever to do this, haven't you?" said he in a voice only she could hear.

A smile. "Hell yeah." After a short farewell, she and the butler left as well.

As the king and his son prepared for battle, Kit suddenly gasped. "Setanthula!" she exclaimed.

The elder realized she was referring to him. "Yes?"

"M-Maybe you shouldn't go out to fight, anyway."

"Oh, hun," said her mother, "if he wants to make stupid decisions, we have to let him make them and learn his lesson."

"You really need to shut up," Set said politely.

Kit ignored them both. "Setanthula, it's too dangerous for the…for the king to fight…"

"Thank you for your concern," he said to the girl. "But this is something I have to do." He gave her a kind smile. "I hope you and your mother stay safe."

"Wait!" Janet exclaimed. "I'm going out with you."

"Absolutely not. Who will watch Kit?"

Realizing she would explode in any second if nothing was done, Set said, "Father, maybe I could stay with Kit and Janet could…"

The king shook his head. "No. You're stronger than she is."

"Do you really expect me to just watch from the sidelines?" she demanded.

"I'm sorry," he said simply, but he handed her a bow and arrow. "I suppose you know how to use them. Protect your daughter and yourself at all costs. You may end up fighting after all."

Janet pressed her lips together and accepted the gift. "All right."

Seemingly out of nowhere, Kit said, "Bye, Set."

The prince smiled widely. "Bye, Kit. I'll come back for you, okay?" She nodded as he left with his father. It was so hazy about the others, but she knew somehow that her friend would be all right.

As they walked, the king said to his son, "This may be the last time we see each other."

Set nodded. "I know." He grinned like his mother had a moment ago. "But what better way to go, right?"

The king almost laughed. "Right. I know this seems a bit rude, but I'm not at all worried about your mother."

"Me neither. She could walk through walls if she wanted."

They walked for a while in silence. Both thought of the battle that lay ahead, but unlike his father, the thought of death or defeat never crossed Set's mind. No matter how mature he was, the prince was much too inexperienced to expect anything but the best out of this. But the king knew better, and he knew what his son was thinking, and he knew – somehow, in the pit of his stomach, he knew – that things were not going to turn out all right.

There was nothing else said before they entered the gruesome battle. They began fighting as if they were born to do so, despite the fact that they had no idea why they were being attacked. Despite the fact that there was more blood and death in those few moments than Set had ever seen in his life, he continued to fight. After a while he lost track of his father – an event that frightened him more than he thought it would. Being separated from that person suddenly scared him out of his wits, more and more as the war waged on until it was unbearable. He had more trouble blocking blows from enemies, and shooting his arrow straight, concentrating his magic, and protecting fellow warriors, as he searched for wherever his father could be. It would have, most likely, been the death of him, had he not seen the figure among the trees. The figure was some distance away, but the prince knew almost immediately who it was. It stared at him for a moment, then went back to hiding in the forest.

Before long, Set found that he had wandered over there. He felt terrible, abandoning his people like that, but he felt that if he couldn't see a familiar face (even of someone he was particularly irritated by), he would lose it.

Once he was quite a distance from the fighting, he called softly, "Janet?"

The woman seemingly came out from nowhere, taking Set by surprise when she slung her arms around his neck desperately. Her face was white and stricken with fear and grief. Suddenly, the prince wished he had never left the battlefield.

"What happened?" he asked slowly.

"She's gone," Janet answered; her voice raspy and barely audible, as if she was attempting to scream but had lost the ability to speak. "They took Kit."

Set felt his stomach tie in knots. "Shit."

"Sh-She went out," said she, "to look for your father – because, she said, she had something to warn him of – and they saw her, and I followed but I couldn't get to her in time…!" At this point, she removed her arms from the prince and slid to the ground, covering her face with her hands.

"Where did they take her?"

"I think…into the forest…Your highness, I…"

"To their kingdom to for hostage, I guess," he said quietly. "I'll find her."

She looked up in surprise. "Wh…why?"

"Listen," Set started, "she's the only thing you and I have in common, and one of the only real friends I've got." He paused, as if contemplated whether to mention something. "If they find out she's a seer, I don't know what they'll do."

Not waiting for her to answer, he pulled her up by the arm. "Get to a refuge or something. I'll bring her back. I promise."

Janet just stared as Setanthula V, prince of the Dark Elves, ran deeper into the Infinite Forest.


	4. IV

A/N: Okay...I'm glad that I'm getting good reviews on this story...although I would prefer if at least one person would bother to review twice? I mean, if you _really_ like the story and want me to update, then please leave a review.

Erik's Muse - Hm...

Tami - Whee! Thankies! n.n I hope you find this chapter "wicked awesome" too!

Elisandre - Thank you very much!

Before you start reading, please remember to REVIEW! The more reviews, the more updates!

* * *

**IV**

"So let me get this straight. You want to kidnap the most heavily guarded princess in the world, so you can find a couple of eggs that hatch once every one billion years – which are probably just a legend, mind you – then return the princess, collect the ransom, and go back to your normal life?"

Fred looked thoughtful for a moment before saying cheerfully, "Yeah, that's pretty much it!" He smiled from ear to ear, making Chase only sink deeper into bewilderment.

"Unbelievable," he muttered, putting his hand to his forehead. "Unbelievable, unbelievable. I just can't believe it."

"You've established that," Fred pointed out, matter-of-factly.

Chase was, as I'm sure I don't have to state, astonished. In fact, he was well beyond astonished; he was downright confused. The fear that had taken hold on him upon his meeting with the vampire was long forgotten, even after the events that followed. (Fred had put a hand over his mouth to silence him and pulled the wizard into the forest – which, as I'm sure you can imagine, frightened him quite a bit.) "I don't…" he began, "I don't think I…understand…"

"Don't see any reason why you should," answered the other with a shrug. "The ransom money is all yours, you know; I have no use for money. Of course if I decide to hire someone else to help us perform my dastardly plot," (Fred snickered inwardly), "you'll have to share the ransom with them. But I imagine it won't be too much a loss."

"But…why would you need a Crystal Dragon egg?"

"None of your beeswax." Fred stuck out his tongue, revealing once again his razor sharp teeth.

The wizard's fear was revived upon seeing these, and he gulped rather loudly. "W-Well, Mr. Vampire, sir – "

"It's Fred."

"Right. Fred." Chase forced a smile. "While I respect your plan entirely, I just don't see how it could ever work. I mean, this is the princess of the Crystal Kingdom we're talking about!"

Fred frowned and tipped his head slightly to the side. "Soooo…?"

After a moment's silence, Chase asked, "Do I have to answer now?"

"Hate to break it to ya, but I don't have time to wait."

Chase closed his eyes. He squeezed them shut very tightly, as if he was a little boy making a wish on his birthday. It wasn't his birthday, and he wasn't quite a little boy anymore (despite the beliefs of many of his teachers), but as he stood there with his eyes closed he made a wish. He wished so very, very hard that when he opened his eyes, the vampire would be gone, and he would be at home with the sun shining through his window, lying in his comfortable bed with a warm breakfast on his small coffee table in his room, and maybe even a steaming cup of hot cocoa. And some whipped cream would be a nice touch.

Alas, when he opened his eyes, he was still in the dense forest, holding nothing but the few objects he took from his room at the school. The vampire was gone, though, so he guessed that was something.

Or it was until he remembered something.

He didn't have any money.

"Fred!" Chase called suddenly, hoping he hadn't gone far enough to not hear him. "Fred, er, the Friendly Bloodsucking Vampire!"

The aforementioned popped up behind him, nearly scaring him to death. "You called?"

After taking a deep breath, he told him his decision. "I…I want the job!"

The other threw his fist into the air, startling Chase and making him jump. "Sweet!" he yelled, smiling like there was no tomorrow. "We are _so_ gonna be partners in crime, Chase!" He trotted merrily along, and the other followed behind, still in a state of bewilderment.

He wasn't sure why, but something about the way the vampire said his name made Chase feel more comfortable around him. It was like he had known him forever, even though they had just met no more than twenty minutes ago. He didn't even flinch when the other punched him in the shoulder playfully – he wondered, after a while if the ability to make his fear go away was a strategy of the vampire's, so that he would be off guard when he was attacked. But Chase decided that if he were going to suck his blood, he probably would have done so a long time ago.

"So how old are you, Chase?" Fred asked, interrupting his thoughts.

The wizard was a little surprised. "Fifteen years," he answered, pausing for a moment before asked him the same question.

"Me? Oh, about…like…hell, I don't know." A shrug. "I stopped counting after a while."

"Surely you must remember," Chase said with disbelief. "How can you forget your own birthday?"

"It's not like it's a big celebration," he answered simply. "If I had to guess, I'd say five Red Moons."

Chase raised an eyebrow. "A what?"

"What, are you a moron? A celebration, like a party or – "

"No. I mean, what's a Red Moon?"

"Oh." Fred grinned sheepishly. "You know, like when the moon is all black, and then it turns red for a few minutes and gives power to all the vampires."

Chase was amazed. He never learned _that_ in school. "Is that how vampires measure time?"

"Yup. Under normal circumstances."

"So…if you had to guess, how many _years_ old would you be?"

"Years?" he repeated, wrinkling his nose. "I don't know. I've never been good at those. If you ask Gnai, he'd know."

"Ngnn-aa-ee?" repeated he, playing with the strange sound of the name. "What's – "

"None of your beeswax!"

Fred, whose cheeks were a light tint of pink, hit the other on the back of the head as if he had just done something shamefully foolish. After toppling over with a yelp, Chase rubbed his head with sensitivity and decided not to ask any more questions.

However, he chose against that decision after a few moments of walking what seemed to be aimlessly. "Uhhh, Fred?"

"Yes?"

"Where are we going?"

Fred thought. "Hmmm…I'll check!" Humming, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the small bronze compass that his brother had given him. When he returned to the Vampire Kingdom, he would have to give Gnai his greatest gratitude. Without this little trinket, he would surely be lost.

"We're going east," he answered after a while. "That's the right way, isn't it?"

Chase shrugged. "How would I know?"

"You've been schooled, have you not?"

Suddenly, the wizard felt his face burning up. "W-Well, you know how school is."

To his relief, the other just laughed. "Yeah, I wish. I can hardly read." He noticed Chase's look of surprise and continued. "I mean, not many of us – vampires – are very educated. It's not a high priority."

Chase nodded, but couldn't quite shake off his astonishment. Everything he had learned from Fred in the last few minutes was more than he had ever learned at school. This whole dropping out ordeal was becoming better by the second!

"But, neither of us know how to get to the Crystal Kingdom," Fred went on, "so that could be a problem. I'm pretty sure it's east and a little to the north from where I've come from, so we should be heading in the right direct – "

Something – or someone – rushing past them from behind, interrupted him. Taking both boys by surprise, it caused Chase to topple over and Fred to lean forward a bit.

Suddenly, the vampire seemed go into a state of panic. "Where is it?" he demanded frantically, "Where did it go?"

Chase stood up and brushed himself off, slightly irritated. "What?"

"My compass! It's gone!"

"Aw, crap," the wizard exclaimed. "That thing must've snatched it. Now how are we gonna – "

"Use magic!" he ordered.

"Huh?"

"You're a wizard, aren't you!" Chase could've sworn his eyes were glowing red. "Use your magic to stop it!"

"Uhhhh…right." Suddenly, dropping out of wizard school seemed like a very bad idea. Still, he was too chicken to turn down a peeved _vampire_, so he took his wand in one hand, aimed it in the direction the thing had gone, and attempted to utter a few magic words. "Zaph lin – n-no, wait, that's not right…Zepheena rin, ou!" And with that, to his surprise and delight, the creature appeared in front of them.

Fred tackled it. "Give it back!" he shouted, pinning it to the ground.

The wizard got a good look at "it" for the first time. It was a male with dark skin and no hair, nearly six feet tall – quite a bit taller than the boy on top of him, which looked rather funny – wearing dark clothes of fine quality. If it weren't for his pointed ears, Chase would've guessed he were merely human, so he came to the conclusion that it was an elf, although he didn't know whether it was a Dark Elf or and Elf of Light. He prayed that it was the latter.

Fred, however, had other things on his mind than what species it was. "Give back what you've stolen!" he shouted.

The elf looked to be in a state of shock, but quickly recovered. "I didn't steal anything!" insisted he, angered. "Now, if you'd kindly remove yourself. I'm in a hurry."

"Not until you give it back!"

Seeing he wasn't going to cooperate, the elf easily kicked him off of him, and Fred flew back as if a strong wind had blown him. "Now," said the elf, standing, "if you'll excuse me, gentlemen – "

"Not so fast!" Chase pointed his wand at the elf, too surprised that he had managed not to stutter to notice his acquaintance clutching his stomach in pain.

The elf stopped, surprised.

"That's right," he continued. "If you try to get away with _our_ compass, I'll just have to turn you to stone." After a moment he added, "Because, after all, I'm a master magician!" Fred looked up and nodded in agreement. The wizard didn't mention that he had only meant to slow the elf down, not make it appear in front of them.

Still, how was the elf to know that? He gave a defeated sigh. "All right. Perhaps I snatched your compass on accident. But if you're going to search me, do it quickly; I'm in a hurry to find someone."

Chase began to approach him warily, until Fred said something that surprised him. "Hello. My name is Fred the Friendly Bloodsucking Vampire. Would you be opposed to kidnap someone?"

Both Chase and the elf stared at him in incredulity.

"Yes," the elf answered simply.

"You must be Dark Elf," Fred continued as if he hadn't heard him. "Your powers are limited these days, hm? Do you have any idea how to find who you're looking for, or what you'll do when you've found them?"

The elf had to admit, he didn't. "What's your point?" he asked distrustfully.

Fred smiled and proceeded to explain his plan, while Chase tried not to scream from the terror of finding out this was a Dark Elf they'd encountered. "Now I don't know their full powers," the vampire went on, "but I'd image with a Crystal Dragon egg you could track down this person you're searching for."

For a long moment, the elf thought. Chase hoped for a while that he wasn't going to answer, but finally he said, "We won't harm this princess?"

"Nope."

"Then it's a deal."

"Awesome!" Fred exclaimed. "What's your name? This is Chase, by the way. He's a wizard. You have to forgive him; he's kind of a wimp."

"I am no – " he stopped suddenly. "I-I mean, how nice to meet you – I'm sorry for c-casting a spell on you earlier!"

The elf seemed indifferent. "My name is Set."

"Set? That's kind of short," Fred commented.

Set ignored him, grabbed a small objected that had snagged onto his shirt and handed it to the vampire. "My apologies," said he. "Now let's get going."

Fred grinned like an idiot and started toward the direction of the Crystal Kingdom. Warily, Chase followed uncertain of their solemn new companion.


End file.
